Not Applicable
Not Applicable
This invention relates to a readily exchangeable, guidable tool such as those used in machining applications. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a rapid centering, misalignment tolerant, machining tool.
It is well known in the machining art that multiple machining operations require repositioning of the workpiece or repositioning of the machine spindle to precisely align the center line of a work piece reference bore with the centerline of the machine spindle, thereby ensuring a concentric and longitudinal orientation of the machining tool. When the alignment angle between the reference bore and the spindle is not accurate, a misalignment angle between the tool and workpiece results. This misalignment angle may result in the tool providing inaccurate or uneven machining. To prevent this, either the work piece or the machining spindle must be realigned, relative to one another, so as to negate the misalignment angle. To reposition the machine spindle generally requires manual realignment of the machine spindle relative to the workpiece or repositioning the workpiece relative to the machine spindle. Such repositioning is generally impractical as well as time consuming, and therefore expensive. To avoid the necessity of precisely realigning either the entire machine or the workpiece it would be desirable to have an invention which automatically repositions the tool carrying body alone thereby properly aligning the machining tool with the workpiece even when a misalignment angle is present and without requiring repositioning of the entire machine or workpiece.
To accomplish such a xe2x80x98tool onlyxe2x80x99 realignment, the present invention utilizes a flex joint between the machine driver and the tool carrying body. The tool carrying body contains an adjustable pilot shaft along. The pilot shaft engages a reference bore in the workpiece. This inventive configuration allows the tool carrying body to shift position as needed in order to ensure proper alignment between the tool and the workpiece. The specific components and functioning of the present flex tool are discussed in greater detail below.
The present invention includes a tool carrying body which may be attached to a driver utilizing a flex joint. The tool carrying body contains an elongate pilot shaft which has a lower portion that may be slidably received into an existing reference bore of a workpiece. The upper portion of the elongate pilot shaft is adjustably or fixedly retained by the tool carrying body. The flex joint between the tool carrying body and the driver is coupled together by a guide collar which is loosely secured about the tool carrying body and removably secured to the driver. The guide collar is configured to be readily secured and removed to and from the driver. This provides the present invention to include tool carrying bodies with various characteristics to be readily interchanged on a driver. The guide collar provides a clearance between itself and the tool carrying body. The width of the clearance or the distance between the tool carrying body and the guide collar determines the amount of restriction to the range of motion of the tool carrying body. In addition the upper portion of the elongate pilot shaft may be configured to upwardly protrude through the tool carrying body in order to potentially engage the driver and thereby restrict the range of motion of the tool carrying body as well. Generally, the tool carrying body will have at least two degrees of rotational freedom which can be designed to provide any desired range of motion. In a preferred embodiment the range of motion of the tool carrying body may be restricted by the guide collar to between 0 and 15 degrees.
The combination of the flex joint and guide collar result in a flex tool which is capable of compensating for a wide range of misalignment angles between the centerline of the driver (i.e. spindle) and the centerline of the workpiece reference bore, by allowing the tool carrying body to be oriented with the reference bore via the inserted pilot shaft within the range determined by the guide collar. The flex joint between the tool carrying body and the driver provides the flex tool with the ability to compensate for misalignment angles between the driver and the workpiece reference bore without having to realign the entire machine or work piece surface.
In light of the aforementioned features, it is a goal of the present invention to provide for a flex tool capable of compensating for misalignment angles which may be present between the orientation of the longitudinal axis of a machine spindle and the longitudinal axis of a reference bore of a workpiece by realigning only the tool carrying body of the flex tool as opposed to the entire machining apparatus or work piece